NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE week began with the announcement of the Daily News that the Government were in great danger of defeat on Mr. Fawcett's Bill for the reform of Trinity College, Dublin, through the combination of the Tories and the Anti-Catholic Liberals, and that at a Cabinet Council held on Saturday the Govern- ment had fully determined to resign if they suffered such a -defeat. We ourselves suggested last week that such a defeat was on the cards, though we doubted whether the Tory leaders really intended to support Mr. Fawcett and Mr. Plunket with their whole force. But we never doubted for a moment,—we do not see how anyone could have doubted,—bu t that Mr. Gladstone, if defeated -on one essential branch of his Irish policy,—especially after so con- siderable a series of mortifications,—would resign. However, the sews created great sensation. Mr. Fawcett was entreated to hold back his motion, or give way in some other fashion,—an en- treaty, of course, which found him sternly inexorable—and on Tues- -day night,—the day on which it stood for debate, though rather low down in the orders of the day,—it was staved off by dint of devot- ing superfluous energy to the subjects which took precedence of it. Even Mr. Newdegate, and the unattractive potion on Conven- tual Institutions, which he administered to the House as though he were giving a stimulant to a dying patient, seemed to taste sweet and sparkling to the reprieved House.
